Graduation was not too kind to Freehold, as the Colonials lost nine of their then starters who combined for 168 wins, as well as some depth, in the range from 132-Hwt. As a result, this is a very young team that will be breaking in a bunch of new faces throughout the lineup.

While the upper half of the lineup will undergo a major makeover, Freehold has a lot of experience and depth returning in the lower half of the lineup. The big name back down low is Nico Messina, who had a terrific rookie year in 2017, winning 34 matches, the most for the Colonials since 2012. He also became the program's first freshman in 55 years to win a District Title, and was their first State qualifier since 2010. He is a hammer down low for the team, and is part of a strong group of sophomores in the lower half that includes Mike Gagliardo, a 3rd-place finisher in the District last season, Dylan Ryan, and Raymond Whitley, a transfer from Lakewood. Also in the lower half are juniors Tony Dushku and Jake Mostowsky, both returning starters, as well as Javier Rodriguez, a starter at Wayne Hills a year ago.

As mentioned, Freehold will have a complete rebuild in the upper half of that lineup, so they will rely heavily on that lower half of the lineup early on, as they develop that upper group. On the plus side, the program's numbers are up, with over 40 wrestlers in the room, and the team has a strong work ethic. This gives the team some good depth in their lower half, and a good competition in the room for the new faces looking to take over the starting spots up top. This is a team that should continually improve as the season rolls on and more experience is gained, and there are a few guys here capable of having post-season success, especially Messina, who will be looking for even bigger things in 2018 after an outstanding first year. Overall though, with a team this young, we will keep an eye on the progress of the young returners, as well as the development of the newcomers, as this could be a team setting itself for a couple big seasons down the road.